According to news sources, many Russians are reluctant to give their blood without being paid for it, due to the legacy of the Soviet era when donors were rewarded with food, days-off and honorary distinctions. Public opinion surveys reveal that almost 50 percent of Russia’s potential donors do expect some kind of compensation for their efforts

These days, not many employers are willing to grant days off to their staff, especially during these times of an economic crisis. Blood shortages are more acute during public holidays and seem to coincide with a dip in stock sales. In cases of extreme shortages, some believe blood substitutes such as Perftoran should be utilized.

Invented by Russian scientists

, Perftoran has been in limited use for at least ten years. Often referred to as ‘blue blood’, it is also available in America and Japan. Developed about two decades ago, Perftoran has only been recently approved for medical usage. Despite this, it was widely used by military medics during the war in Afghanistan and saved many soldiers suffering from massive blood losses. It did present some risks however and did cause some side effects, but when compared to death due to blood loss they seem endurable. Some of these side effects include: fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and a decrease in platelet count.

According to Dr. Vladimir Gorodetsky:

“It’s an emulsion which should be kept frozen at minus 18 degrees Celsius, whereas it can only be used on patients at plus 20 - 30 degrees Celsius. This can become a technical problem when time is running out.”

Not all hospitals in Russia can afford Perftoran as it costs more than $100 US dollars a bottle. Besides, some experts say, Perftoran can be hard to use in emergency cases. Instead of seeking synthetic blood substitutes, many Russians claim that it is the public's attitude towards donating blood that needs to be changed, so that a life-saving donation is no longer perceived as needing compensation, but rather as an act of altruism.

The RES-Q Wedge is is a washable and reusable vinyl-covered foam wedge used for the management of infant reflux. Orthographically designed, the wedge helps bring the shoulders
slightly forward while providing good head molding. In addition, it helps place the cervical spine in a natural position. The wedge is also reversible. One side is designed like a parent's chest and is for "tummy time" to help strengthen muscles for gross motor skills. The other side of the wedge has a scooped out "nest" that offers containment and boundaries for newborns in addition to nice head molding. The accompanying RES-Q Sling is secured to the wedge via Velcro straps that attach within a "slit" in the wedge. The sling is adjustable up and down the incline so that the infant can be placed in the optimum position for comfort.

Out of nine tremendously creative and functional household designs produced by the finalists in the 2008 Electrolux Design Lab competition , one design really stood out in the judges minds: The "Flatshare" Refrigerator, by Austrian design student, Stefan Buchberger, whose inspiration came from sharing a flat, of course.

The mess he described in his flat's refrigerator is familiar to most of us who have had roommates, so he came up with a way that everyone could keep their mess a secret from each other, by designing a "to each his own" modular refrigerator that is portable, so when you move, your fridge mess moves with you!

A fridge is a tricky thing to reinvent,” said Henrik Otto, head of Global Design for Electrolux and chair for the jury. “Flatshare, however, manages to be new in a fun and expressive way. A shared refrigerator is also very relevant from a consumer-insight perspective, managing to resolve the needs and wants of the target group.”

As winner of the Electrolux Design Lab competition, Mr. Buchberger receives €5,000 plus a six month scholarship to an Electrolux Group design center!